Summarized by Kent Larsen
Mormons raise funds to stop gay marriage
San Francisco CA Examiner 8Aug99 L1
By Zachary Coile: Examiner Staff
In spite of the pressure on the LDS Church over its backing for the
Knight initiative, members of the Church have answered the call to
support the measure financially. "It's not going as fast as I hoped
it would, but it's happening," said Merrill Higham, LDS Church
spokesman in Belmont, California. The vote on the measure, which
would make it more difficult to allow gay marriage in California,
will be held in March 2000.
Higham, who contributed $2,000 himself, sees the issue as one of
biblical law. "When we talk about traditional marriage - that is,
marriage between a man and a woman - we are talking about one of the
core beliefs of our faith, our religion," Higham said. "So we're
talking about something we consider sacred. Not just important, but
sacred."
The Church asked members in California to support the initiative in a
May 11th letter from the North America West Area Presidency. The
letter was to be read in Priesthood and Relief Society meetings in
California. A second letter, dated May 20th, tells how leaders in
congregations can solicit donations to support the initiative. The
letter warns Church leaders not to raise funds on church property, or
use church letterhead or meetings for the campaign.
While its not clear what kind of response the campaign has received,
anecdotally, members say they have responded. 62-year-old Paul
Edwards of Napa, California, said he gave $200, "I just believe
that's the proper way to go," he said. "If you're a member of the
Mormon Church, your thinking is that the relationship of marriage
needs to be between a man and a woman. That's the belief we have in
the church."
The May 20th letter came to light after it was released by former
Mormon Kathy Worthington, of Utah. The letter was addressed to all
159 stake presidents in Calfornia from Elder Douglas L. Callister. In
the letter he says that "No undue pressure of any type should be
applied," to get donations. Callister also says in the letter that
"this is a moral issue, not a political issue, fully justifying the
support of LDS families."
The letter shocked San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno, who has
forwarded the letter to City Attorney Louise Renne, so that it can be
sent to the IRS. He says that it may demonstrate that the LDS Church
is abusing its tax-exempt status. "All Americans get to take part in
the political process," says Leno. "Churches and other . . .
charitable organizations get to speak their minds and advocate a
position. But to take an active role in raising money, that means
that these individuals are collecting salaries from an organization
which exists off of tax-deductible contributions, and on church time
and letterhead (they) are raising money to weigh in on a political
ballot measure. . . . I think that crosses the line."
Elder Callister, who is a tax lawyer in Glendale, California, says he
wrote the letter to avoid introducing the gay marriage issue into
church services. "I felt our church meetings had been dedicated for
worship and prayer, and in large part we should use them solely for
that, and this could be more comfortably discussed in homes and other
settings."
Callister also disputed Leno's position about the Church's tax-exempt
status. He says the IRS allows churches and other groups to get
involved in political issues on two conditions. First, that their
involvement isn't a significant part of their overall activities, and
second, that they don't back a particular candidate. "(The church's)
involvement with political issues is rare and does not involve a
significant fraction of its total activities and assets when one
considers the substantial resources committed by the church to
missionary work, temple and meeting house construction and
maintenance, family history, education and so forth," he said.
"Further, the church maintains strict neutrality regarding political
candidates."
Meanwhile, the No on the Knight effort, which opposes the initiative,
said in a memo on Thursday that the campaign and the Church are
hiding the level of the Church's support. In particular, the memo
points out that the campaign paid $32,400, its largest single
expenditure, to Wirthlin Worldwide, the polling firm headed by Elder
Richard B. Wirthlin of the Seventy. It also says that the campaign
has received a concentration of donations from four heavily Mormon
towns in Southern California, Temecula, Murrieta, Vista and
Fallbrook. One of the donations in Murrieta, was from Stake President
Roger Connors, who gave the campaign $10,000.
Higham notes that the campaign has been hard on those members with
gay or lesbian friends and relatives, "Even within the LDS community,
there are families that have members of their family who are involved
in a lifestyle that is contrary to the church," he said. "I know that
has been agonizing for them."
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